Urasabishii Akumu
by d'Anima
Summary: AU. Kagome is attacked by a fabled creature known to stalk dreams. She is taken to Kaede's village as a means of protecting her, but she unknowingly befriends him. He ends up caught between trying to murder and love her. IK
1. Chapter 1

**Authoress's Note:** Yep. Another story. Argh, I know I'm a horrible authoress for not updating my other fics. But you'll have to get used to it.

**Disclaimer: **Je ne possède rien faire avec Inuyasha. Que tout appartient à Rumiko Takahashi.

0-0-0-0

A single, lonesome soul drifted aimlessly across the sky. Against the velvet blackness of the night it glowed a faint red mixed with flashes of silver. The orb dropped from the sky to rest on the hard wood of a balcony. It flared once, and then was sucked into itself. In its place stood the creature that had stalked the dreams of mortals for over a century.

A cold wind tugged at long silver hair, lifting it away from the fire-rat cloth the man wore. His molten amber eyes showed no hate or coldness, in fact they showed nothing at all, if not a slight hint of loneliness. The balcony door was slid open by clawed hands, and the creature stepped silently inside.

He moved to stand beside the bed, regarding the inhabitant with an impassive yet slightly fascinated gaze. As if sensing he was being watched, the child opened his eyes slowly. "Who – who are you?" He asked sleepily.

"Go back to sleep." The creature said quietly. "You shouldn't be awake for this." He gripped the boy's face with one hand, digging his claws in slightly for traction. The child's scream of terror was silenced as a shimmering multi-coloured bubble drifted out of his mouth, absorbing itself into the creature's skin.

There was a fleeting glimpse of something in the creature's eyes as he looked at the blood on his claws, some sort of emotion that resembled remorse. As the bubble became part of his body, images of the child's life wound their way into his mind. Images of laughter, warmth, and above all else, love.

The creature remembered when he had felt like that. But that was a long time ago, and the memories were very faint; dying embers from a fire that burned out over a century ago. So the creature wasn't pleased with his work; he didn't know what pleasure was, after all.

He used to know what love felt like, but that was so long ago that he wasn't sure if it even _was _love. He had buried it away in the furthest recesses of his mind, to be left alone until the time called for it to resurface itself.

However, there was a certain sense of completion he got from taking good, happy energy and filling himself with it. It created a temporary link back to his past life, where he could pretend once again that he was safe, that he was loved. But like all the other times, the feeling didn't last long, and all too soon he had moved on towards another house, and to another waiting soul.

0-0-0-0

"You have failed me one too many times, Jaken." Eyes slightly narrowed, the Lord of the Western Lands regarded his vassal with contempt. "If you do not succeed in locating my brother I will be forced to dispose of you. Do not mistake my patience for compassion, for I have no use for someone in your situation." Rising, Sesshoumaru turned on his heel and left the throne room.

"Y – yes, m'lord! I will not fail you!" The small, reptilian youkai bowed his head in shame and scuttled after his master. "However, am I permitted to ask why it is so important to find Inuyasha?"

Sesshoumaru stopped. "You are not permitted, Jaken. It is not your place to question something that is strictly family business."

"Oh, of c – course, Sesshoumaru-sama! Please, forgive me! I meant no disrespect."

Resuming his stride, Sesshoumaru made no attempt to acknowledge the toad youkai at all. Jaken sighed, repositioned his grip on his staff and hurried after him.

0-0-0-0

Kagome smiled in her sleep, gripping her fluffy pink coverlet and snuggling deeper into her bed. For the first time in weeks, she wasn't having unsettling dreams about monsters murdering her family. It was a cold night, and her window was open, but she was having an extraordinarily pleasant dream about a boy named Hojo and wasn't willing to let herself wake up.

Slowly, the air around her turned colder; until she was shivering so badly it jolted her awake. With her face pressed into her pillow, Kagome could only see a mass of pink, but she could hear the soft footsteps of someone who was deliberately trying not to be heard.

She felt a hand grasp her shoulder and roll her over, face-up. The darkness of her room prevented her from seeing much of the intruder's face, but she caught a glimpse of silver hair, fangs, and hollow amber eyes that seemed to stare into her soul.

"Who are you?" Kagome cried, backing up against the headboard and clutching her duvet to her chest. "If you're a burglar, just – just go away! I know self-defence!" It wasn't really a lie. She had been taught a bit of it at school, but she hardly remembered any of it. Hopefully the trespasser wouldn't figure that out.

Inuyasha raised his hand until it was several inches away from her face. "It won't hurt. Not for long." Pale moonlight filtered through the curtains, reflecting off blood-tipped claws that almost touched her skin. A sudden chill came over Kagome's body, and she instinctively threw her arms in front of her face, shielding herself.

There was a flash of vivid purple light, and Inuyasha was thrown back against the wall. Kagome squeaked, hugging her pillow. "How'd I do that how'd I do that how'd I do that?" She took a deep breath. _'Okay, relax Kagome. This is no time to freak out. Ummm…' _She scanned the room, setting her eyes on the alarm clock on her bedside table.

Holding it like a weapon above her head, she stepped cautiously towards the figure that was now lying against her wall. "Er, excuse me? But if you'd maybe like to leave? If you go now, I won't have to call the police. I have a clock, and I'm not afraid to use it."

Inuyasha's eyes flew open and he got to his feet in one fluid movement. "Your light." He said softly. "Give it to me." He reached out and seized her throat, lifting her off the ground. She struggled and gasped for air, but was soon overcome. As her vision blurred, all Kagome could manage was a strangled cry.

The same purple light she had created before flared again, slamming Inuyasha through the glass balcony doors. Kagome dropped to the ground, catching a glimpse of the hanyou lying on her balcony before she closed her eyes and succumbed to darkness.

Hurt and confused, Inuyasha sat up, rubbing one of his fuzzy white ears. He didn't understand what had happened, but he knew it hurt him, and he didn't particularly like things he didn't know hurting him. So he did the best thing he could think of – he leapt back into the sky, returning to his own world to lick his wounds.

0-0-0-0

When Kagome awoke, she was no longer in her bedroom. By the looks of it, she wasn't in her own time, either. She was lying on a simply-made futon in what looked like a simply-made hut. There weren't many furnishings, only a low table and a wood stove in the corner.

Kagome had seen pictures of these huts in textbooks at school. She was pretty sure they were from the feudal period. This made the fact that she was in one impossible.

"Ah, child, ye be awake." The kindly voice startled Kagome out of her reverie. It came from a hunched old woman sitting against one of the wooden walls. Her thin grey hair was tied loosely back, and her face was heavily wrinkled and weathered by the sun. She also wore a patch over one eye. The whole effect made her look like some sort of freakish witch-doctor-pirate from a badly choreographed sci-fi movie.

"W – who are you?" It was then that Kagome realised how badly her head ached, and that her throat felt bruised. She wondered where it came from, because as far as she knew the previous night had been nothing out of the usual.

"I be Kaede, child. I am this village's miko, but as ye can see I am getting on in my years. And ye be Kagome, a girl from the other side."

"Other side? Of what? And how do you know my name? And what am I doing here? What about school? I have a huge history assignment due today!"

The old woman chuckled. "Enough with the questions, child. They will all be answered in due time." She moved to carefully place more logs on the fire. "This world that ye are in is over five centuries before yours. I brought ye here several hours ago." She paused, turning back to Kagome. "In ye time, is there an old tale about a creature that seeks out young souls?"

Kagome thought. There _was _a story like that. A children's tale, or something. About a monster that stalked the dreams of naughty children, and then visited them to steal their souls. It was used to scare little kids into behaving properly.

"Yeah," she answered, still not sure if she could trust this woman. "Something like that. But it's only a story, nothing real."

Kaede frowned. "It is much more than a story, child. There be a creature from this world, who last night came to ye house to draw ye positive energy into himself. However, he did not succeed. I believe this to be because ye have a special power inside of ye. I believe ye are a miko."

"A – a miko? That can't be true. I'm not a priestess; I only live at a shrine. And are you sure you're not crazy? 'Draw out my positive energy?' What's that about?"

"Stop ye blabbering, Kagome. It be not fake. He does not seek out negative souls, only bright, happy ones, like the one that resides within ye heart. The victims do not die; they merely are not able to show any happy emotions." Kaede's eyes were pained as she spoke. "They become only shells of their former selves. That is why it be surprising that ye were able to fend him off."

Kagome sighed, rubbing her aching head. She wished the pain would go away. And not just from the bruising. She was having a hard time taking all this information in. "Okay, so let's say you're right here. I'm 500 years in the past, and some weirdo monster tried to suck out my soul last night?"

"That be correct. Nobody knows much about the creature, but the most common theory be that he is a hanyou. That be, a hybrid of a human and a youkai. Don't give me that look child, the youkai do exist. Supposedly, he was shunned from both youkai and humans for being an outcast. His human mother's protection was the only thing keeping him safe. That is, until she died."

Curious, Kagome unconsciously leaning forward to hear more. She had all but forgotten about the pain in her forehead and neck.

"When his mother passed away, many attempts were made on the hanyou's life. Several such attempts were made by his own brother. Since then, he has lived on his own as an outcast. People say the reason he takes happy souls be because he has no happiness left in him." Kaede nodded gravely. "Of course, this be only a wide-spread rumour. No-one knows what he looks like, what his name be, or anything else. Does that satisfy ye?"

Kagome nodded numbly. "It sounds horrible," she whispered. Then she thought of something. "But why can't I remember what happened? All I remember was going to sleep and then waking up here. Also, why do I have to stay here? I want to go home."

"I know not why ye are unable to remember. Perhaps it be a side-effect from ye powers surfacing. However, Kagome, ye must stay here. It is not safe for ye in ye own time, for once this creature has chosen a victim, he will keep hunting it, and in the end the victim will die a long, painful death. If ye stay here, we be able to protect ye."

"No!" Kagome got to her feet angrily. "You can't force me to stay here! That must come under kidnapping, or something!"

Kaede regarded her calmly, almost as if she expected this would happen. "Ye are welcome to return home, child. But I wager ye will not survive to see tomorrow morning."

Kagome abruptly sat back down again, tears forming in her eyes. She knew it would be foolish to go home, but she needed her family. "I'll stay…' she whispered, brushing back tears. "As long as my family's okay."

"Aye, child. Ye family be fine."

0-0-0-0

Perched in one of his favourite trees, Inuyasha rubbed his ear. It was torn, and bleeding a rather large and slightly disturbing amount. He wasn't exactly sure as to how he had received this particular injury; but he assumed it had something to do with his night wanderings.

He never knew what happened during the night, as when he awoke he was always back in one of his trees or in a nice meadow somewhere with no memory whatsoever of what he had done.

Some mornings Inuyasha felt like not much at all had happened, and some made him feel even more alone and detached from his world. This was one of them. He couldn't shake the nasty feeling he had. It was as if he had tried to do something horribly wrong, but he wasn't entirely certain what it was.

Oh well. Best not to worry about those sorts of things. Complex thinking for an extended amount of time usually only ended up giving him a headache rather than coming to any life-changing conclusion. The more important matter at hand was where he was going to get his breakfast from.

0-0-0-0

Yay, first chapter done. That didn't take as long as I originally thought. This style's way different from what I normally write…but who cares?

_**Does a frighteningly bad attempt at looking hypnotic**_

You shall now review…you shall now review…you shall now review…you shall now review…

Miko


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: **Hey there everyone. Thanks for all your reviews, and I hope whoever read this enjoys it.

0-0-0-0

Hugging her knees to her chest, Kagome sniffed and tried not to let any more tears come. Kaede had mentioned that she was soon to meet some people of her own age. Kagome hoped they were human; with what she had recently been told she wasn't sure if being human was normal anymore.

For now, she was left alone in the hut, as Kaede had been called out to oversee a troubled birth. She picked at a lump of dirt that had been traipsed through the hut. _'I guess that's what mikos spend a lot of their time doing…' _She scowled, flinging the dirt as far away from her as possible. _'Stupid old woman…if I'm supposed to be a miko, then why can't I do anything to protect myself?'_

She bit her lip to try and stop the tears that were threatening to spill. _'I want to go home…Mama, Souta, Grandpa…I miss you.' _She sighed and stretched her legs out. They were aching from being in the same position for too long. _'Maybe I could go for a walk or something, to see wherever the hell I am.'_

The usual nagging at the back of Kagome's mind told her not to go, to stay in a place she knew, a place that was safe. She would have laughed at that if she wasn't so upset. Safe? Nothing in this time was safe. Not even a deranged old miko. Since she was going to be staying here for a while, she may as well see what the place was like.

But first of all, she needed to get changed out of her pyjamas. She may not know the people of this village, but she didn't want them to take her for a weirdo. Even _if_ they didn't know what Hello Kitty PJ's were.

Looking around, Kagome spotted a bag she hadn't noticed before propped up against the table. On closer inspection, she found that it was her trusty yellow backpack, filled with so much stuff it was nearly bursting. In it were her hairbrush, toiletries, first aid kit, food, kitchen items and some bottles of water.

Kagome nodded, impressed. Kaede had done well in packing everything up. She also found her school uniform. _'Is this the only piece of clothing she brought?' _Dismayed, she sighed and pulled it out. _'I guess it'll have to do.' _

After putting it on, and dragging a brush through her hair – the air in this era was so dry it made hair notoriously hard to manage – Kagome pushed open the flap to Kaede's hut and stepped out.

The first thing she noticed was how bright it was. The sunlight pricked at her eyes, sending pinpoints of multi-coloured lights darting across her vision. Screwing her eyes shut, Kagome rubbed at them to try and rid herself of the pain.

When her vision cleared, she caught sight of a bunch of small children playing a stick game nearby, all dressed in traditional kimonos. At the familiar sight, Kagome smiled. Maybe this place wasn't so bad. So far, she hadn't seen anything too disturbing, such as the presence of youkai. And the children looked human enough.

Wandering through the village, Kagome found that there were quite a few of the feudal-style dwellings huddled together, although Kaede's was the largest. A river ran alongside of the village, feeding water via irrigation to the rice paddies and farms on its opposite bank.

At the far end, past all of the huts, was a forest. Kagome rather liked forests, as they didn't have too many of them back in Tokyo, and she needed a good walk, so it was only natural for her to want to go and have a look at it. Perhaps, if she was feeling rather adventurous, she would even go and have a _walk _in it. But only on the off chance.

Forty-five minutes and several blisters later, Kagome realised just how _huge _the forest actually was. _'I should have brought a drink with me…' _She sighed, brushing her hair out of her eyes. _'I figured I'd be at the other side by now.' _She came to a halt, frowning as a familiar sight came to her eyes.

'_Is that the…Goshinboku?'_ Before her stood a giant tree, its sturdy trunk worn from years of harsh weather. A mass of tangled roots was at its base, stretching out along the grass like giant wooden tentacles grappling for their prey. A complete replica, if somewhat smaller, of the tree that stood on the ground of her family's shrine.

'_It's here…even so long ago.' _The sight of something so familiar in such an alien place was comforting to Kagome. She smiled, resting a hand on the Goshinboku's gnarled trunk.

So caught up in the familiar tree was Kagome that to that point she hadn't realised anyone else was around, let alone watching her.

0-0-0-0

Inuyasha, one the other hand, was well aware. While he made no movements to show he knew of the girl's presence, his ears had locked onto her whereabouts and he had picked up her scent as soon as she entered his forest. His injured ear made no difference; it didn't affect his hearing, and his sense of smell remained intact.

Inuyasha was slightly annoyed by the intrusion, actually. His stomach was satisfyingly full after a nice breakfast he had acquired from a man of the nearby village. The villagers were ignorant, and kept all their food in an unguarded storehouse, so it was rather simple for him to get in, grab something to eat and get out again.

He had returned to his tree to eat his meal in peace, and had just settled down to nurse his torn ear or maybe have a nice nap when _she _came along. The funny girl with the strange kimono.

But what bothered Inuyasha more was the fact that she smelt and looked so familiar. _'Kikyo…' _He felt a sharp pain in his heart at the memory of the miko, but he knew she was dead. He had seen her body burn.

No, this girl was different. But she was still a miko, he could tell that much. And apparently not a very good one, because as of yet she hadn't been able to sense his youki.

It was then that, by chance, Kagome happened to give a fleeting glimpse skywards, where a dash of red and silver caught her eye. On her second glance, she managed to gather that by the looks of it, it was a boy with long silver hair wearing a red haori. With a squeak or surprise, she also noted that he was staring back at her.

Forgetting her manners, she glared up at him. "What do you think you're staring at? It's rude to scare people like that!"

Inuyasha arched an eyebrow. He would have been amused, but he had long since forgotten what amusement was, so he was content to let her off with a look of pure contempt and a flattening of his ears. Which, he thought, was worthy of any glare of his brother's.

"I'm only staring at you, wench. Who the hell wouldn't, with you looking as weird as you do?"

"Well – well I'll have you know that – huh?" Kagome had noticed the movement on top of the boy's head, and the source of it: two fuzzy-white ears that resembled those of a dog.

"Are those…dog ears?" Staring up at them in awe, she found herself itching to touch them, just to see if they were real. "Hey, come down here, will you?"

Inuyasha frowned. "And why the hell would I want to do that? So I can get your filthy human scent all over me?"

Kagome took a deep breath, fighting back the urge to yell some more. "No, so I can see what your ears feel like. I'm sorry for shouting at you." She said softly, smiling up at him.

"Er…" Taken aback, Inuyasha shuffled closer to the Goshinboku's trunk. There was something definitely odd, but slightly endearing about this girl, and he was fascinated by her. Something about her aura reached out to him, drew him in. It was probably worth taking a look at. Jumping down, he landed lightly in front of Kagome, arms folded defensively across his chest.

"What do you want?" He asked roughly, ears still pinned against his head.

"I just wanted to see…" Kagome's voice trailed off, her gaze still fixed on the ears atop Inuyasha's head. "Do you mind if I touch them?" She didn't really like this obnoxious silver-haired boy, but she was curious about his ears, so consequently believed she could put up with anything for the sake of furry appendages.

"Er…" Inuyasha said again, narrowing his eyes, which Kagome found to be an unearthly shade of gold. The hanyou uncertainly shifted from one foot to another, then tilted his head slightly in Kagome's direction.

She tentatively reached up first one hand, then the other, to gently tug on the tips of the ears. She gently ran a finger down inner part until she reached the base. "They're soft," Kagome said, giggling.

"Okay, that's enough!" Inuyasha snapped, pushing her away. "You're weird, even for a human." The sudden movement of his head allowed Kagome to see the back of his ears, and the cut and bloodied mess that his right one was. Because she had only felt the front of his ears she had missed noticing the injured part.

"Oh, your ear." She whispered. "What happened to it? Let me see."

"No! It's fine. Just leave me alone."

Kagome stepped back. "Fine. But excuse me for trying to be helpful."

"Yeah, well I don't want or _need _your help." Without intending to, a growl formed deep within his chest, growing louder until it blatantly declared itself to the world with a rather loud and obvious rumble.

Kagome blinked. "Was that…thunder?"

"Er…"

"Er" seemed to be Inuyasha's favourite word at that point in time. It was short and to the point, conveying all manner of emotions in just one quick breath. It could be an unknowing, drawn out "er", a suggestive "er", a happy, satisfied "er" or any other "er" known to man or youkai kind. The list goes on.

"Kagome!" A faint cry was heard from the other side of the forest, coming from the village. Kagome turned her head in the direction the sound came from. "That sounds liked Kaede…" She murmured. She looked back towards Inuyasha. "I have to go now. But I'll see you later, okay?"

"Keh." Inuyasha leaned back, crossing his arms again. "Don't count on it."

"Well, whatever! See you!" She turned and headed back in the direction of the village.

'_So that's her name…' _Inuyasha thought, rocking back on his heels. _'Kagome…'_

0-0-0-0


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: **Woot for quick updates lol. I think it's just a fluke. Now sorry if this is a bit long, and if it's confusing. But everything will be revealed in time….woo…..

Miko-chan

0-0-0-0

The cold wind that blew through the streets of Tokyo smelled faintly of rain, a promise of the weather to come. Tiny dots of light were scattered over the city, their number dropping as residents were overcome by sleep. One house remained empty, however. Kagome's family were still at the police station filing a report for abduction, so there was not a soul to witness the hanyou who stood on the glass-covered balcony.

Inuyasha frowned at the sight. The sliding glass door was shattered and broken; flimsy curtains fluttered in the wind. The bedroom was dark and foreboding; left alone and forgotten by its inhabitant. There was no sign of the girl who he had come looking for. This fact was slightly disappointing, but it was only a minor obstacle blocking his way. A minor obstacle that was quite annoying.

Hold on, what was that?

Annoying?

Inuyasha didn't feel annoyance. But there was definitely something there, some emotion he hadn't felt for a long time. He knew why it was there; he hadn't taken that girl's soul and was suffering for it.

Inuyasha wasn't completely aware of it, but there was another reason why he was compelled to seek out positive energies. It was to subdue another side of him, the third side that now showed itself in the flashes of red that lined the hanyou's eyes.

This part, this youkai blood, scared him. Well, it would have, if he knew what fear was. But nonetheless, the transformation that was taking place terrified his subconscious. So much that it took only a second for Inuyasha to wrestle his youkai side into submission once again. That sort of panic was more than he could take. It had happened once before; when it had become too powerful to contain, and he had paid the price. Or rather, _she _had paid the price. The _ultimate _price.

Inuyasha sighed; the dejected, conquered sigh of someone who had lost all they had to live for, and had nothing better to do than wander aimlessly in search of happy souls. He walked deliberately across e floor of Kagome's room, ignoring the shards of glass as they pierced the pads of his feet.

He crawled onto Kagome's bed, resting his head on the fluffy pink pillow that smelt so familiar and comforting. He knew he couldn't stay here all night; he had to go home, after all. But just for a little while he wanted nothing more than to curl up and rest. He would find that girl later, and when he did, he would kill her.

0-0-0-0

"So, Kagome, did ye enjoy ye walk?" Kaede asked slowly, poking more logs onto the fire.

Kagome nodded. "I did, actually." She tipped her head on one side. "I met someone. A boy. I don't think he was human, though."

"Aye." Kaede walked wearily back to Kagome and sat down. "It would be wise to be wary of this stranger, child. He may be a youkai. What be he like?"

"Well, he was pretty rude. And arrogant." Kagome frowned. "_And _he called me names. But he had these funny white dog ears on top of his head, and pretty golden eyes. And…Kaede?"

The old miko's face had become twisted with grief at the mention of the ears. She looked up at Kagome, her eyes shining with tears. "And be his name Inuyasha?" She asked quietly.

"Um –" Kagome faltered. "I didn't actually get his name. But he had long silvery-white hair and fangs…"

Kaede nodded slowly. "It must be he." She whispered.

"Kaede? What's wrong?"

"Nothing, child." Kaede got to her feet and went to needlessly stoke the fire again. "However, take great caution in the affairs of this young man. Ye may only end up being hurt."

"Huh?" Kagome asked, confused. _'What's she talking about?' _She didn't get a chance to ask, however, as at that moment a man and a woman walked in, the woman holding a young kitsune in her arms.

"Ah, ye be here." Kaede greeted the strangers warmly. "Kagome, I would like ye to meet Miroku and Sango. The kitsune be named Shippou. Ye three, this be Kagome." She traded knowing looks with Miroku. "She be the girl I told ye about."

Miroku nodded. He wore the traditional robes of a Buddhist Houshi, and around his right hand was a string of prayer breads. Repositioning his staff, he clasped Kagome's hands with his own. "Lady Kagome, would you do me the great honour of bearing my children?"

"W – what!" Kagome exclaimed, drawing back from him. "What do you mean?"

Miroku smiled lovingly. "I think it's rather obvious, my lady. Or perhaps you do not know. When a man and a woman –"

"That's enough, Houshi-sama!" Sango snapped, yanking hard on the monk's ear. She tucked a stray strand of hair back into her loose ponytail. "Please excuse him," she said, bowing quickly. "He does not know how to act around females without being a hentai." She glared at Miroku.

Kagome smiled and offered Sango her hand. "It's nice to meet you Sango. It'll be good to have a friend I can talk to about girl things."

Sango nodded. "It's hard to find a male here who isn't a moron." She gave Miroku a sharp shove in the ribs. The monk gave a yelp of protest, but didn't try anything else.

Kagome blinked. "That reminds me. I have somewhere to be. It was great meeting you guys, but please excuse me." She smiled apologetically, grabbed her bag and ran out of the hut.

0-0-0-0

Oh no. There it was again. That smell. That awful, horrible smell. It was _her._ Inuyasha shifted around in the Goshinboku, contemplating whether or not he could jump to a higher branch and not be seen.

"Hello? Funny guy with the ears? Where are you?"

Damn. Too late. Inuyasha sighed and jumped down from his branch, startling Kagome so much that she dropped the yellow bag she was carrying.

"You idiot! What was that for?" She knelt down to gather everything up.

"What do you think it was for? It's your fault for getting scared so easily. It ain't _my _problem you're a wimp."

"What did you call me!" Kagome whacked Inuyasha over the head with her now-re-packed bag. He glared at her, rubbing his head. "Stupid wench…" he muttered. "I think you just screwed up my ear even more."

"Well, it serves you right." Kagome absently tapped her chin. "That reminds me. C'mere."

"Why? You're just gonna whack me again."

"I promise I won't." Kagome took a roll of bandages and some cotton wool out of her bag. "I just want to bandage your ear. It won't heal properly with all that blood on it."

"It will too." Inuyasha folded his arms defensively. "Why don't you just go home? I don't want you here."

Kagome sighed. "Look, if you let me fix your ear for you, I'll make you something to eat. You look like you haven't had a good meal in a while."

"Yeah, and I bet yours won't be any different." He muttered. But the prospect _was _appealing. "Fine. Just don't screw up."

"I won't!" Kagome said, smiling happily. She grabbed Inuyasha's hand and pulled him down onto the grass. Tearing off a chunk of cotton wool, she started to gently clean the dried blood off his ear, moving the cotton in small circles.

Inuyasha closed his eyes, leaning into Kagome. She blinked, laughing. "What are you doing?"

"What?" Inuyasha snapped out of his daze and moved quickly away from her. "Nothing, just hurry it up already."

Kagome laughed again and finished wrapping the bandage around his ears. "There. All done! Now you can have some instant ramen."

Inuyasha shuffled round so he was facing her. "What the hell's instant ramen?"

"This." Kagome pulled out a cup of ramen, a mini gas stove and a jug of water. Inuyasha eyed her bag warily. "How do you fit all that stuff in there?"

"I'm not too sure." She admitted, setting up the noodles. "We have to wait for the water to boil, but after that they'll be done in a few minutes."

"Where'd all this stuff come from, anyway? I ain't seen it before in my life, and that's a good couple hundred years." Inuyasha peered at the gas stove, poking at the blue flames. Kagome shook her head. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. You'll just get –" She broke off as Inuyasha yelped in pain. "– Burnt."

"Is this some sort of witchcraft?" Inuyasha asked, sucking on his burnt finger. Kagome rolled her eyes. "No, it's just everyday equipment in my time." She fished around in her bag and produced a tube of burn salve. "I'm not from this time," she said, rubbing the salve onto Inuyasha's hand. "It's a long story, and you'll probably get bored, but basically I'm just staying here a while."

"Yeah well, I figured someone like you would have a weird story to go with it."

Kagome glared at him, screwing the cap back on the tube. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

Inuyasha didn't answer, already bored with the subject. He turned his head to look out through the forest, letting his mind wander. It lingered on the usual topics he concerned himself with: food, enemies, his brother, Kikyou.

"Excuse me? Mister…" Kagome's voice trailed off. She poked him in his ribs. "What's your name? I need to know what to call you."

Inuyasha's gaze flicked back to her. "No you don't. It's not as if we're friends or anything. After today, I'm gonna make it my business that I never see you again."

"Well that's not a very nice way to talk, is it?" Kagome gripped the straps of her bag warningly. "I give up _my _time to come all the way out here, just to give you first aid treatment and some food! And what do I get in return? Yelled at, that's what! People like you have no respect for anyone anymore!" She crossed her arms and turned away, sniffing a little and wiping her eyes.

Inuyasha's ears swivelled in her direction. "What the hell are you crying for?" He asked impatiently. Then his eyes softened, if only for a second. "Look, if it's that important, my name's Inuyasha. Now quit your crying and hurry up with the food."

"Okay!" Kagome said, smiling brightly with all traces of tears gone. "I thought that would get you to come round." She held out her hand. "I'm Kagome. It's very nice to meet you, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha looked at her hand suspiciously. "What am I supposed to do with that?"

"You shake it, silly." Kagome took his hand in hers and shook it gently. "People do that when they meet each other."

"Well your _people _sound insane. Is the food ready?"

"Not yet." Kagome gave the cup of bubbling ramen a quick stir.

"Is it ready now?"

"No."

"How about now?"

"No."

"Is it ready _yet?_"

Kagome glared at him. "Look, why don't you make yourself useful and go and…I don't know, just sit there without bothering me."

"Okay." Inuyasha screwed his face up, narrowing his eyes and contorting his features. Kagome looked at him. "What on earth are you doing?"

"Trying to look at you with as much loathing as I can muster without getting a haemorrhage."

Kagome threw a chopstick at him. "You're such a pig." She frowned. "You said before you've been alive for a few hundred years. What did you mean?" Kagome turned off the stove and handed the cup of ramen to Inuyasha. He took it greedily and started shovelling the food into his mouth at an alarming rate.

"I meant exactly what I said," he said between mouthfuls. "I think I'm about two hundred years old. Not sure."

"Why is that?" Kagome remembered what Kaede had mentioned. "Are you a youkai?"

Inuyasha frowned, chucking the empty ramen cup back into Kagome's bag. "No." He turned away. "I'm only half. I'm a hanyou." His eyes narrowed viciously.

"Well, what's wrong with that? You sound annoyed about it."

"Hell yeah I'm annoyed about it!" Inuyasha yelled angrily. "Who wouldn't be! I'm an outcast from both worlds. I have no family, no home, no _nothing_. I'd say that gives me the right to be annoyed!"

"I'm sorry." Kagome gave him a hug. "I'm new to this world. I didn't know."

"Get off!" Inuyasha shoved her away from him and got to his feet. "I didn't ask for your pity. In fact, I didn't ask for you to be here at all. Just leave me alone." He took off back to the Goshinboku, settling down amidst the branches.

Kagome sighed and gathered her things up. "Have it your way. But I'll come and see you tomorrow, if you'll be here."

"I wouldn't bet on it." Inuyasha muttered as he watched her walk away. He trembled and closed his eyes. He had been hugged like that before. Only two people in his life had hugged him like that, and they were both dead. He didn't want to add anyone else to the list.

0-0-0-0


	4. Chapter 4

Thar we go me hearties! I be a _pirate _today. If ye read, then make sure ye review. Or else I be gettin' ya scurvy dogs with me sailor's curse, aye! Ar, and I be not owning Brother Bear! That be where the game come from.

0-0-0-0

Regardless of what Inuyasha had previously said or thought, he _did _wait for Kagome the next day. And she _did _come to visit him. And the day after that. And the day after the day after that.

On this particular day, the pair was sitting under the leafy branches of the Goshinboku, waiting patiently (or impatiently in a certain hanyou's case) for the cup of ramen that was bubbling merrily on the gas stove.

"I spy with my little eye…something beginning with t."

"Tree." Inuyasha replied in a bored tone of voice. Kagome laughed. "You got it! Now it's your turn!"

"This game is stupid."

Sighing, Kagome rolled her eyes. "To you, _everything's _stupid. Just spy something already."

"Okay, okay, fine. I spy something…green."

Kagome glanced around the forest. "Tree?" She guessed.

"Oh wow." Inuyasha replied in the same monotonous voice. "You got it right. What a surprise."

"Stop being such a wet blanket. I spy something…tall."

"Tree."

"Wow, you're really good at this game!" Kagome smiled at Inuyasha brightly, and if she _did _see the look of disgust he gave her, she chose to ignore it. "Your turn."

"I spy something with bark on it."

"Well, that's easy! It has to be a tree!"

Inuyasha sighed. "In case you hadn't noticed, _everything _here's a tree. Brain-dead human." He muttered under his breath.

Kagome glanced at him. "Sorry? I didn't catch that."

"Nothing." He answered quickly. "Just take your turn."

"Okay!" She chirped. "I spy with my little eye…a vertical log." She smiled and sat back, satisfied. "Just see if you can figure that out."

"Oh, what a tough one. Just a hunch; could it be a _tree?_" Inuyasha asked in mock speculation. Kagome nodded happily. "Now you go."

"I spy –"

"Tree." Kagome cut him off.

"Hey! I didn't even spy anything!"

"So?" Kagome shrugged. "I'm the one who knows how to play. It counts."

"Fine."

There was silence for a second. "Tree."

0-0-0-0

"Ja-ken had a lit-tle wart, lit-tle wart, LIT-tle wart. JA-ken had a LIT-tle wart; it was round, HAI-ry and green!" The little girl sung at the top of her lungs, belting out the words with apparently no sense of rhythm or melody. "It grew pus-filled and bulbous one day, bulbous one day, bulbous one –"

"Rin." That one, cold word stopped Rin in mid-song. "Yes, Rin's lord?"

"That's enough. You must be quiet if you don't want to attract any undue attention to us." Sesshoumaru turned slightly to glance at the girl who was seated on the two-headed dragon named Ah-Un. Rin nodded vigorously, so hard in fact that Jaken, who was tottering along behind them, wondered if her head would fall off.

The toad youkai sighed. It was bad enough that he had to endure Rin's tone-deaf jingle, (which wasn't very flattering – any self-respecting toad would prefer many, _large_ warts) but she was also allowed to ride on Ah-Un, while he, his master's ever-faithful vassal, was forced to walk. How degrading.

Ah yes, Jaken was an underprivileged, underappreciated fool for following Sesshoumaru. There were a great many things he would like to say to his lord (and none of them very nice) but he believed if he_ did _voice his opinions, he would just get a bonk on the head. Or something even worse.

So Jaken did the next best things he could think of: he sucked up to him. "So my all-powerful and wise lord, what is the next stage in your mighty and unstoppable plan?"

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Jaken. However if you must know, I am going to enquire about enlisting the help of someone to track down my half-brother. This land is too large to do it on my own."

"Ah, of course, my lord!" Jaken beamed widely. "What a wondrous, marvellous idea! You really do come up with brilliant plans!"

"Be quiet."

"Yes my lord." He said meekly.

0-0-0-0

"Ah, this feels great." Kagome sighed happily as she sunk deeper into the hot spring. "Thanks for asking me along Sango."

The taijiya smiled warmly. "Don't mention it. We can do this as often as you like." She shook out her long, dark hair and started combing her fingers through it. "Besides, it's nice to have a female friend my age."

Kagome smiled back, but hers was mixed with a hint of sadness. "It's nice just to have a friend here at all." She smiled gratefully, absently playing with a leaf on the water's surface. "But wouldn't someone come by here?"

"Usually the villagers know not to disturb us," Sango said reassuringly. _"However," _her eyes flicked to a clump of bushes by the spring's edge. _"Some _people don't know when to lay low. _Miroku!" _A nice-sized boulder went sailing in the bushes' direction. An unhealthy _thwack _was heard that probably didn't belong to the bushes, and a familiar robed body fell out.

Miroku sat up slowly, rubbing his head. "But Sango, I was only checking that you and Lady Kagome were safe from any harm. It wouldn't be very welcoming if you were attacked by youkai on Kagome's first bath night here now would it? I was merely concerned for your wellbeing."

"Concerned for our wellbeing my ass." Sango wrapped her arms round herself and ducked lower in the water. Seeing Miroku's devious grin, she glared at him. "But that doesn't give you any reason to gawk at us. Now go back to the hut, hentai."

Kagome smiled to herself, but followed Sango's lead and kept herself well-covered. _'At least if I'm stuck here, I'll have some company.' _She eyes Miroku warily. _'Even if it does include a hentai.'_

0-0-0-0

Being lonely was horrible, Inuyasha had decided. It was horrible, ghastly and vile. He had also decided that he didn't want to be alone. If he could find some way to turn back he clock, he would. But as of yet, a solution to that problem had eluded him, and it didn't look like he was getting any closer to some life-shattering discovery.

But what was even more horrible, ghastly and vile was the thought that he found something horrible, ghastly and vile. He wasn't _supposed _to find things horrible. _Or _ghastly. _Or _vile. He wasn't supposed to find things any emotion at all. It kept happening; he couldn't find the girl and he wasn't taking in any more souls. This only served to make him more susceptible to emotions, and he was pretty sure if he didn't kill the girl soon he'd end up a blubbering wreck.

Sighing heavily, the hanyou looked to the sky. It wasn't even midnight yet, and he was already back in his own time. Another wasted search for her. A warm breeze blew past, lifting his hair and bringing the scents of the night to him. There was one smell in particular that caught his attention. It was vaguely familiar, and then all of a sudden it hit him, just out of nowhere. It was _her._

Then the sounds reached his ears. Lots of yelling, then laughter and some more yelling. Following his nose and ears, Inuyasha came to the source of it. Hidden by the trees, he watched the scene before him with emotionless eyes. He watched Kagome and Sango throwing inanimate objects at Miroku. He watched the houshi leave, and he watched the two girls return to their bathing and quiet talking.

It was then that he rose silently and stepped towards the pair, amber eyes glowing red.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:** Yes, I am alive! Shocking, is it not? But I _am _hoping to update more. Note, I said hoping. Not promising. I also have an Easter one-shot planned. Chocolate and albino rabbits abound! Thanks to Kristen Sharpe for an idea for this, and as for Kisskitty….yep, what you said pretty much sums it up.

**NB: **This chapter will focus a bit on what happened _before _Inuyasha met Kagome, and what the deal really is with him. Flashbacks galore! Hopefully the will clear some things up, because I think a few people are confused.

So, without further ado, the next chapter!

Oops….had a mix-up in the first upload…XD Oh well. Tis fixed now! Meryet, REVIEW!

()o0o()

Horrible. Ghastly. Vile. That was how he felt at that moment. _'But no longer,' _Inuyasha thought, clenching and unclenching his fists slowly. He moved silently towards the two bathing girls. He ran his tongue over his fangs, savouring the bitter blood as the points of his teeth pierced the flesh. Soon, it wouldn't be _his _blood that he tasted…it would be theirs.

But the sharpness of his blood instilled a memory in him; a memory so powerful it forced him to his knees, his now-golden eyes wide, with one word ringing in his ears: _Mother._

()o0o()

"_Mama, is Father watching me? Right now?" The small boy tipped his head on one side, squinting up at the bright light of the moon. He gazed around at the castle grounds, and then twisted his head to glance inquisitively at the woman who stood beside him, her long black hair flecked with snow. _

"_Of course, Inuyasha." Izayoi pulled her son into a warm embrace and rested her hands on his shoulder. "Your father is always with you. Just like I will be. Remember that." She scooped Inuyasha into her arms, lifting him up to catch the flakes of gently falling snow. _

"_But you're not going anywhere, are you Mama? You're going to stay right here." Inuyasha said firmly, entwining his fingers in his mother's raven hair. "I bet Father can wait a while, anyway. He knows I need you more than he does."_

_Izayoi smiled sadly and kissed the top of her son's head. "You'll have me forever, little one. You will always –" She broke off suddenly with a cry of pain. Her grip on Inuyasha loosened until he fell to the ground, turning in time to see a spattering of blood stain the snow as his mother collapsed, the feathered shaft of an arrow protruding from her back. _

"_Mama…?" Inuyasha whispered in a daze, rubbing his head where it had hit the hard ground. Izayoi's chest heaved as she coughed up blood, but she turned her head slightly and reached for Inuyasha's hand. "You will always…" she gave another pain-wracked gasp, "…be loved." As she spoke her last words, she sighed and her body went limp._

"_Mama?" Inuyasha whimpered again. The sound of footsteps crunching in the snow made him look up. A group of his mother's soldiers stood before him, one holding a bow. "Leave the child." One of them said, yanking the arrow from Izayoi's back and tossing it into the pond. "He won't survive much longer." He kicked Inuyasha in the stomach and then signalled for his men to follow him._

_As they walked away, Inuyasha got to his knees and shuffled closer to his mother's body, cringing as his ribs protested in agony. He reached out a hand to pat her shoulder tentatively. "Mama? It's time to wake up now. The bad men are gone. Mama?" He gently nudged Izayoi's head with his. "Mama, I don't want you to go with Father yet. Please stay with me. Please?" Tears stung at his eyes and made their way down his cheeks. _

_With the taste of his own blood in his mouth, Inuyasha curled up next to his mother and wrapped himself in the folds of her kimono. "Mama's not coming back." The scent of her blood burned his nose, but he ignored it and nestled into her, closing his eyes against the sight of blood staining the snow and the water in the pond._

_The mind of a child cannot register the effect of death, nor can it comprehend how or why it happens. But something born into the hearts of each of us tells us what we don't want to believe; that someone who was so dear to us can never return._

_It is not until we are older, when we have experienced loss in its greatest form, that we know the true infinity of death. It will take us all; in fact, it is the one thing we can be truly sure of. For a race that so longs to force dominance over all else, death terrifies us. It is inevitable, and in itself has the power to destroy us. But is that why we seek to control the demise of others? To wrench them away from the grip life has on us, to destroy all sense of hope in those left behind. _

_To live is to die, to die is to live. That cruel knowledge seeps into the heart and threatens to destroy all we have worked for. With each passing day, the heart is weakened, and weakened further still, until there is nothing left but to wallow in all that we have lost. _

_There is no escaping death._

_There is no delaying death._

_There is no redemption but death._

_There is nothing to wait for but death._

()o0o()

Inuyasha gasped and dug his claws into the soft dirt beneath him. He shook his head wildly and rubbed furiously at his eyes, attempting to banish the painful memory.

_/Mama's not coming back/_

The flashbacks hadn't happened for a while now. Just another sign that he was getting weaker. _/Mama's not coming back/ _No matter how hard he tried to forget, the brightness of the white, the hollowness of the black, and the sickening, hideous glare of the red were seared into his eyes.

_/Mama's not coming back/_

Inuyasha drew in another deep breath, his lungs screaming for air. _'Mother…' _His head was burning, and he gripped a tree for support. _/Mama's not coming back/ _The grief built up inside of him until he let out a scream of anguish and lashed out at the nearby trees.

Nearby, Sango glanced up from the steaming water of the hot spring. "Kagome? Did you just hear something? It sounded like someone was out there."

"Uh…" Kagome frowned. "I don't think so. Maybe it was a bird?"

The thrashing noise came again, and Sango raised an eyebrow at Kagome. "Must be a pretty big bird. That guy just doesn't know when to quit." She sought out a nice, large boulder, complete with pointy protrusions, and hoisted it above her head.

"Sango?" Kagome warned, wringing her hands uneasily. "You don't want to do anything you'd regret."

"Trust me," Sango snarled, "I am in no way going to regret this. _Houshi-sama!"_ She hurled the massive chunk of rock in the direction of the noise. At the sound of a satisfying clunk! and a yelp of pain, Sango dusted her hands off. "That takes care of that little nuisance. Come on Kagome, we'd better get back to Kaede's."

"Uh, sure." Kagome laughed nervously.

()o0o()

Kagome, still wringing out her wet hair, pushed aside the flap to Kaede's hut and stepped inside. She tipped her head quizzically at what she saw. "Sango?" She called over her shoulder. "Miroku's in here."

"Is he?" Sango slipped past Kagome and frowned at Miroku, who was speaking with Kaede about a relatively boring and unimportant herb. "What are you doing here, Houshi-sama?"

Miroku looked up. "I'm minding my own business. I decided I'd rather not have any more concussions tonight."

"Oh." Sango glanced back in the direction of the hot spring. "Well in that case, it was probably just a random peeping tom I hit. No matter." She put her hands on her hips, eying Miroku sternly. "It serves them right."

Kagome ignored the pair and seated herself beside Kaede. "Kaede?" She asked, propping her chin on her hands. "Where were you today? Before Sango and I went to the hot spring?"

"Hm?" The old onna turned slightly. "Oh, that." She said softly. "I was at my sister's grave. It be the anniversary of her death today."

"Your sister?" Sango and Miroku stopped arguing and turned to listen. "I didn't know you had a sister."

Kaede sighed wearily. "Kikyou was her name, though she died a long time ago."

Kagome exchanged glances with Sango. "Do you mind if I ask how she died?" She asked gently.

Shaking her head, Kaede ran a wrinkled hand through her thin hair. "She was killed, by the same monster that be now haunting the dreams of humans. She was the only human he actually killed."

The other fell silent. "That's horrible." Kagome rested a hand on Kaede's arm. "But at least she's at peace now."

Kaede sniffed and nodded. "Yes. That be one thing we can be thankful for."

()o0o()

"Ow…what the hell?" Inuyasha felt droplets of rain hitting his face. He opened his eyes to stare up at the falling rain. "What the hell happened?" He sat up and rubbed his head, feeling the large bump on the back of his skull. "How'd I end up here?"

He got to his feet and looked around him, sniffing the air for anything to get his bearings. _'Kagome…' _he thought as the familiar scent flooded his nostrils. _'And…Kaede…' _He leapt to a nearby tree, clinging to the trunk as he scrutinised the hut from which the smells were coming from. _'It's her…'_

From inside the hut, Kagome hummed to herself as she prepared breakfast for everyone. Kaede helped by bringing her the wooden bowls for the rice. The process was interrupted by the bamboo flap being shoved roughly aside. "Oi, Kagome!" Inuyasha exclaimed. "Where's the brat?"

The bowl in Kaede's hands clattered to the ground, and the old woman stared at him, her eyes wide and hands shaking.

"Huh? Inuyasha?" Kagome blinked at him. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for the little monster! Where is she?" Inuyasha glanced around the hut, his eyes moving quickly over Kaede, Sango and Miroku.

"Inuyasha." Kaede spoke quietly. "It is I. I have grown old over the years, but I be still Kikyou's sister."

Inuyasha stared incredulously at her. "You're Kaede? 'Grown old over the years', huh? I'd say that's the biggest understatement I've heard. You must be about to cark it any day now."

"Inuyasha!" Kagome whacked him over the head with the pot she was holding. "Don't be rude! And don't I even get a hello? And how do you know Kaede?"

Inuyasha grumbled and rubbed his head. "Don't freak out Kagome. I'm just saying; she looks like she's already dead. Or pretty near it, anyway. And hello." He glared at her, crossing his arms. "And me and that old hag go way back. Don't we, Kaede?" His eyes flicked to Kaede, who still stood staring at him.

She ignored his question. "It was the anniversary of Kikyou's death yesterday. Did ye know that?"

Inuyasha stopped, his insides turning to ice. _'How could I forget?'_

()o0o()

"_Inuyasha." Kikyou spoke quietly. The hanyou turned at the sound of her voice and smiled. "Yeah? What is it?"_

_Kikyou quickened her pace to walk beside him. "You know the temple won't approve of us…being together. Does that trouble you?"_

"_Why should it? They don't have any say over what I do." He stopped suddenly. "Why? Does it bother you?"_

"_Not at all." Kikyou stopped as well. "I merely wanted your views on the matter." She smiled and reached for his hands, drawing him towards her. Inuyasha responded by wrapping his arms around her upper body, resting his head in her hair._

_The two sank to the ground like that, with Inuyasha leaning against the sturdy trunk of the Goshinboku, and Kikyou sitting in front of him. They fell asleep in the same position._

_That night, as the wind screamed through the trees, Inuyasha awoke with a start. His amber eyes were now blood-red, the pupils an unearthly green. His grip on the sleeping miko tightened slightly, then more, until his claws were digging into her skin. _

_Kikyou stirred in her sleep, and opened her eyes. "Inu –" her protest was cut short as Inuyasha pressed his lips to hers, clutching the back of her head. Kikyou melted into his kiss, but stiffened when she felt his claws pierce the nape of her neck. _

_She pulled away, fear evident in her eyes. "Inuyasha! What are you –" There was a muffled cry as Inuyasha thrust his hands through her back until the tips of his claws showed through her chest, and then roughly wrenched them back out. Kikyou gazed up at him as blood rushed from her wounds, seeping into his haori. A few tears glimmered at the edges of her eyes._

_Inuyasha kissed her once more, until he felt all signs of life fade from her body. He let her head drop to the ground in a pool of blood, where he placed one last kiss on her forehead. Inuyasha got to his feet, and without looking back, took off to the branches of the trees, that still screamed in fury. _

()o0o()

**Author's End Note: **Sorry it's not that long. It's late and I can't be assed writing any more. So, just to clear things up:

Kaede knows Inuyasha was in love with Kikyou - she knows that whoever killed Kikyou is the one after Kagome - she doesn't know that person is Inuyasha

Inuyasha knows all of the above - he doesn't know _how _or _why _that happened though

Kagome doesn't know anything.

If you're still confuzzled as to why Izayoi's own soldiers killed her, all will be revealed! O In the meantime, leave me a review with all your comments!

**NB: **I will still update even without reviews, but reviews make me update quicker and help me improve my writing. All you scabby buggers who just read the fic and leave…..curses! You are _so _not getting a cookie anymore. Hah, bet you're upset now, aren't you! OO So if you guys get a chapter, I get a review! Sounds fair, right?

Aufwiedersehen!

0o0 Miko-chan


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: **Something I forgot to mention in the last chapter, Inuyasha knows that he was the one who killed Kikyou. However, he has no idea why he did it, or what else his 'night' side's been up to. Also, the nights when he's human are the only nighttimes when his day side has control.

On with the new chapter! BUZZAP!

()o0o()

"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked quietly. She rose from her position on the floor and walked over to him. "Are you okay?"

"Hm?" Inuyasha started out of his trance and stared at her, as if seeing her for the first time. He backed away slowly at first, and then faster, until he unceremoniously scrambled backwards over the pile of wood Shippou had brought in. "Y – you…" He was still staring at Kagome, but suddenly broke his gaze and looked wordlessly at Kaede. She eyed him curiously. "I see ye remember my sister, Inuyasha." Her face softened and she forced a kind smile. "I know it was hard on ye. It was hard on all of us."

"Huh?" Kagome glanced around the room quizzically. Sango shrugged at her, but took Miroku's arm, and, with a nod to Kagome, towed him ungracefully from the room. Kagome turned back to Inuyasha, who was still staring at Kaede. "Inuyasha?" Kagome asked again, prodding him in the arm. "How do you know Kaede's sister?"

"I…" Inuyasha trailed off and looked to Kaede for help. The old woman scrutinized Kagome. "When Kikyou was alive, she and Inuyasha knew each other quite well. In fact, they were –"

"That's enough." Inuyasha said sharply, glaring warningly at Kaede. Kagome was still confused. "They were what?" She asked, looking from one to the other.

"Nothing." Inuyasha answered quickly. A little _too _quickly. "We weren't…anything." He turned his back on the two females, and instead gazed out the window, at the darkening sky. "I have to go now."

"But why?" Kagome frowned at his back. "I've still got questions. Inuyasha?"

The hanyou didn't answer, but pushed the bamboo mat aside and took off to the trees. Kagome sighed and bent to pick up the bowl Kaede had dropped earlier. "I wonder what that was all about…"

Kaede sat down heavily with her back against the wall and groaned. "Aye, Kikyou…" She mumbled, passing a hand over her eyes. "Ye have left behind much sorrow…"

Kagome rubbed her head. All this was making her head hurt. "Kaede? Is it alright if I go for a walk? I won't be long."

Kaede flapped her arm distractedly in her direction. "Yes child, as ye wish."

Kagome raised her hand to wave, but sighed again and dropped it. "I'll be back soon." She wandered outside, looking around to see where Miroku and Sango had gotten off to. She could hear them a short way down the river, talking quietly. _'I better leave them alone. At least they have each other.' _She kicked viciously at a pebble on the road.

For the first time in over a week, Kagome felt a pang of loneliness. She was ages away from her family (500 years, to be exact) with no way of getting home, and no-one to care about her. Miserable, she sat down on a tuft of grass beside the river, and chucked rocks into the near-still water. The ripples warped her reflection in the water, but Kagome splashed the distorted image away with her hand.

'_Stupid reflection. What good is it if it can't even keep me from being alone?'_ A chill wind blew through the trees, carrying away orange-red leaves and dropping them in the water. Kagome frowned. _'Maybe I should go find Inuyasha…even though he's rude and obnoxious, he's still **someone**.'_

She headed to the forest, glancing up at the already-dark sky. _'Where are all the stars, and the moon?' _Shrugging it off, she picked her way through the forest. "It sure is cold out here," she murmured, rubbing her arms. Her voice sounded strange against the quiet of the forest.

Kagome hummed quietly to cheer herself up, and quickened her pace to stay warm. She wished Kaede had thought to bring a coat.

It wasn't long before she found herself in a familiar area, that which surrounded the Goshinboku. Once at the giant tree, she noticed the sleeping form of Inuyasha, nestled amongst the roots.

'_What's he doing there?'_ Kagome wondered. _'Normally he'd be up in the branches by now for protection or something…huh?' _It was then that she noticed the abnormal colour of his hair. Instead of the usual silvery-white, it was now jet black. What's more, he no longer had his trademark fuzzy ears. Instead, there were human ones, in the usual place for such things. For some unknown reason, Kagome was rather upset by this. On closer inspection, she found that his claws had retracted into very human-like nails.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome whispered quietly, kneeling beside him. "Hey, wake up." She gently touched his arm. At once, his dark chocolate eyes flew open and he stared up at her. "What the hell are you doing here?" He asked roughly, and got to his feet.

"Well, I just –" Kagome faltered. "Um – why do you look so different?"

Inuyasha growled at her. Apparently he hadn't lost that trait. "That's none of your business." He crossed his arms inside his haori and shifted from foot to foot. Then his voice softened. "Because I'm a hanyou, there are times when I loose my youkai powers. Different hair, different eyes, different ears, no claws and no fangs." He frowned up at the moonless sky. "The first night of the new moon is that time."

"I see…" Kagome clasped her hands in front of her. She reached up and tugged lightly on one of his coal-coloured forelocks. "Well, I'm very happy that you trusted me enough to tell me this."

"What?" Inuyasha looked surprised and pushed her off. "Oh. Yeah. Whatever." He settled himself back down on the Goshinboku's roots. "What'd you come here for, anyway?"

Kagome shrugged and scuffed the toe of her shoe in the dirt. "I just wanted someone to talk to, is all."

"What about those other people you were with?"

Kagome made a face. "They have each other. I don't want to ruin their moment."

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. "What 'moment'?"

"You know, when people are sort of…" She laced her fingers together. "Like that."

"Oh. I get it." Inuyasha replied, even though he didn't really get it at all. "If you won't leave me alone, you may as well sit down."

"Okay." Kagome perched on a root next to him. She searched his face. "Are you okay? You don't seem too happy. I don't think it's a bad thing you're human for the night." She laughed. "It makes you easier to talk to."

"It's not funny," Inuyasha muttered. "I just have a lot to think about at the moment. So excuse me if I'm not too talkative."

"That's okay. It's just nice to sit for a while, you know?"

"Feh." Was Inuyasha's only reply. He repositioned his grip on his sword but didn't say anything else.

"Listen," Kagome glanced across at him. "I know you're not up to talking too much, but how _do _you know Kikyou? I was thinking about it before. You were in love with her, weren't you?"

Inuyasha remained silent. Kagome sighed wistfully and rested her chin on her hand. "I thought so." She whispered. "It must have been nice, to have someone care about you like that."

"Nice?" Inuyasha scoffed. "You don't know the half of it."

"I would if you'd just tell me."

"Well I ain't gonna, so quit bothering me about it."

"Alright." Kagome fell silent. "But if you ever want to talk –"

"– Which I won't."

Kagome closed her eyes and fought to remain calm. She was _not _going to get into another argument with him. "– But if you ever _do _feel like you need someone to talk to, just come and find me, okay?"

Inuyasha shifted himself round so he was facing her. "You don't have to be here, you know."

"Yeah, I know, but I want to." Kagome smiled at him. "Besides, I'm lonely, and I bet you're lonely, so we can be lonely together."

"Then I think you're missing the point in being lonely."

"I know!" Kagome grinned. "But being lonely with someone else has got to be better than being lonely by yourself, right?"

Inuyasha shrugged and resumed his forest-watching. "I guess."

"See? You're coming along fine!" Kagome patted Inuyasha on the head. "What a good boy!"

"Knock it off." Inuyasha brushed her hand away. He glanced at her. "You're shivering."

"Yeah," Kagome admitted. "It's pretty cold for September. I guess I should have brought warmer clothing."

"Here." Inuyasha slipped his haori off and draped it across her shoulders. "You'd better wear this if you don't want to end up sick."

Kagome smiled gratefully up at him. "Thanks, but won't you need it?"

"No." Inuyasha crossed his arms. "I may only be human right now, but I'm still stronger than you."

"Of course you are." Kagome hid a smile and turned away. _'I can see him shivering. Stupid manly pride.'_

"Anyway, I'd better get back." She stood up. "Do you want to come with me?"

Inuyasha looked at her as if she was crazy. "No. No way in _hell. _Not like this, and not _ever. _But I may as well walk you to the village." He added hastily, seeing her hurt look. "Just in case you get eaten or something."

Kagome brightened up immediately. "Great! Then let's go!" She linked her arm through his. Just as quickly, Inuyasha unlinked them, but continued to walk beside her. Kagome watched him out the corner of her eye. "Do you miss Kikyou?"

Inuyasha looked up, surprised. His eyes clouded over. "Yeah. I guess I do." He quickened his pace and abruptly changed the subject. "Hurry up; we've got to get you home."

'_Home,' _Kagome thought wryly. _'I wish.' _She stretched and yawned. "I'm sleepy," she complained.

"Well don't fall asleep yet, we've still got a while to go." Inuyasha gave her a push in the back. "If I was a hanyou again, at least I'd be able to get us there quicker."

"Don't worry," Kagome mumbled. "I won't." She stifled another yawn. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and knelt in front of her. "Here," he said softly. "Climb on. You'll just slow me down if you keep going the way you are."

Kagome nodded sleepily and did as she was told, tucking the haori closer around herself. She draped her arms loosely around Inuyasha's neck as he stood up and gripped her thighs. Kagome gave another yawn and rested her cheek against his shoulder as he walked along, careful not to jolt her too much. She rubbed her eyes and snuggled closer to him. "Thank you," she murmured, giving his neck a squeeze.

Inuyasha's cheeks tinted pink, but he nudged her head with his. "Kagome?" He whispered. When she didn't answer, he smiled and continued to walk.

()o0o()

"Who do you think that was?" Miroku asked, dipping his fingertips in the water. "That youkai, back at Kaede's hut?"

"I'm not sure," Sango replied admittedly. "But he seemed to know Kagome and Kaede, so he can't be too bad." She stroked Kirara's fur absently. "And Kaede…I know how she must feel." Her eyes darkened and she turned away slightly from Miroku.

"Hey," the monk rested a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about Kohaku. You'll find him." He squeezed her shoulder. "And I'll be there to help."

"Thank you," Sango ducked her head to hide the beginnings of a blush. "You're not half bad, houshi-sama."

Miroku chuckled. "Of course not, my dear Sango." He waved his staff with a majestic and rather melodramatic flourish. "I am only here to see to your every whim."

Sango rolled her eyes, but then sighed and drew her knees up to her chest. "I just worry about him, that's all. I mean, what if he's been captured, or he's alone, and starving, or worse?" Her eyes glistened with tears. "What if he's been killed?"

Miroku frowned. "Don't think like that," he said sharply. "We must believe in Kohaku's wellbeing, or else there is no hope."

Sango nodded and wiped her eyes. "You're right," she whispered. She smiled shyly and shuffled closer to him. "Thank you." She scowled when she felt a hand make contact. "That _wasn't _an invitation."

Miroku grinned sheepishly and held his hands up in defence. "I'm sorry Sango, but I just thought perhaps you'd like some cheering up."

Sango clenched her fist. "Not like _that, _I wouldn't." She drew her arm back and punched him square in the jaw.

Shippou, who was a little way down the river collecting pretty stones, looked up at the smacking sound. "Ouch," he said, wincing. "That one had to hurt."

()o0o()

Inuyasha turned his shoulder to the bamboo flap and pushed it open. Inside, there was only Kaede, who busied herself with tedious activities that no-one ever really needed to do like sweeping. She looked up when he entered, a frown etched on her face.

"Inuyasha," she said slowly. "I thought it be a new moon tonight. What brings ye – oh." The old miko caught sight of Kagome, who was still sleeping. "It was good of ye to bring her here."

"Yeah, well." Inuyasha knelt down and let Kagome slip off his back. "She's asleep, so I figured I may as well carry her, since she wasn't all that great at walking by herself."

Kaede nodded. "Bring her over here." She motioned to a futon in the corner. Inuyasha picked the sleeping girl up and placed her gently on the futon, spreading the blankets over her and tucking the edges in. Kaede watched with an amused look in her eye. "I never knew ye to be so careful with humans, Inuyasha."

"Shut up." Inuyasha stood up. "I only came to bring her back, now I'm leaving."

Kaede shook her head. "Why don't ye stay a while? I bet ye have had naught to eat for a while." She thrust the broom in his direction. "Start cleaning while I get ye some food."

Inuyasha shrugged, but did as he was told and started sweeping. He was never one to pass up an opportunity of free food. Kaede poured some stew that had been simmering over the fire into a large bowl and handed it to Inuyasha. "Eat that, boy. Ye look like ye need fattening up."

Inuyasha grumbled, but grabbed the bowl and started shovelling it into his mouth at an alarming rate. Kaede watched, smiling. "It be getting late, Inuyasha. Ye may stay the night here, if ye wish."

"As if." The hanyou chucked the now empty bowl in Kaede's direction. "I did what I came for, that's all."

"If ye are sure, then. However, I must leave for several hours tonight in order to do the village rounds. I only hoped ye would stay to make sure Kagome be all right." She looked at him out the corner of her eye. "Especially since staying here would give ye protection in ye human form."

Inuyasha growled. "I'm not doing this for you or her, you know." He moved to sit near Kagome, resting his back against the wall. He closed his eyes, but cracked one open when Kaede hadn't moved. "So, hurry up and go already."

Kaede's eyes twinkled with mirth. "Alright then. Stay out of trouble." She brushed past the bamboo mat.

Inuyasha sighed and looked over at Kagome. Feeling eyes upon her, Kagome yawned and sat up sleepily. "What am I doing back here?" She mumbled to herself. Inuyasha's haori, which she was still wearing, slipped off her. "Hm?" She looked up at Inuyasha. "And why are you here?"

Inuyasha crossed his arms. "You fell asleep, so I carried you back. And Kaede's gone out for a bit, so I'm staying here for a little while. Go back to sleep."

Kagome smiled. "Okay." She shuffled around and lay on her back, gazing up at Inuyasha with sleep-muddled eyes. "'Night."

"Goodnight." Inuyasha reached out and patted Kagome's head. She smiled, hugged Inuyasha's haori closer to her, and fell asleep.


End file.
